Americans are becoming a little less nervous about hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.While 56% of Americans said there needs to be more regulation of the technique, called fracking, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted Sept. 21-24, that was down from 65% in a March survey. The share of respondents calling for less regulation of fracking rose to 29% in the latest poll from 18% in March.Bloomberg sees financial interests driving the shift in public opinion.“Gas prices have dropped 76 percent since July 2008 as producers use fracking, in which chemically treated water and sand are forced underground to break up rock and free gas trapped in tight layers of shale,” according to the news service. And in his Jan. 24 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said fracking could support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.As more people realize the benefits of gas production, “the more public support we'll continue to see for this truly historic opportunity,” said Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a Pittsburgh-based industry group, in an e-mail interview with Bloomberg.The public's views, to some extent, are shaped by industry groups such as America's Natural Gas Alliance, which have sponsored advertisements that stress measures to protect the environment during drilling.But those ads might be giving people a false sense of security about fracking, according to Kate Sinding, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.In an email to Bloomberg, she said, “The oil and gas industry have been blanketing the airwaves with ads that tout gas as our savior. They're using Big Tobacco-style smoke and mirrors messaging to deflect genuine concerns about the health threats.”A hub of innovation
In her latest column for Forbes.com, NorTech CEO Rebecca O. Bagley examines the implications for Northeast Ohio from the recent Water Innovation Summit sponsored by San Francisco-based Cleantech Group.“The Summit focused on three themes: smart water, resource recovery, and water re-use, and it looked at similarities and relationships between water and other natural resources,” Ms. Bagley writes.She notes that “water and the important role it plays in oil and gas exploration, whether it's for enhanced oil recovery to drilling and well stimulation, or fracking, was top of mind during the Summit.”And one thing is clear, Ms. Bagley writes — the demand for water innovation is growing.A lot of that innovation is happening in Northeast Ohio.“Being part of a regional cluster of companies in the water industry helps to raise visibility of emerging water technology solutions,” says Missy Hayes, director of business development and marketing of MAR Systems Inc., a clean water technology company based in Cleveland.“This increased visibility also helps regulators and policy makers recognize the technologies that exist in their own back yard so they can make informed decisions about important policies that will impact the industry,” Ms. Hayes says.Stephen Spoonamore, president of ABSMaterials Inc., a startup in Wooster that's developing water technology solutions for use by municipal, industrial, and oil and gas customers, says, “The industry needs to help utilities understand the emerging technologies that substantially improve the options to clean, treat, recycle and preserve water.He adds, “A lot of 21st century chemistry, including pesticides, herbicides and pharma products in use today, simply can't be treated or removed with 19th century filtration technology. We need to pair 21st century solutions with these emerging challenges. That's why creating awareness is the first step towards companies and utilities working together to implement solutions that will drive down costs and improve both efficiency and water quality.”Crain's most recent story about ABSMaterials, by tech reporter Chuck Soder, is hereJoin the partyThe Akron Beacon Journalreports there's a new company involved in Ohio's Utica shale.Denver-based 1st NRG Corp. said it signed a letter of intent with a private third party to initiate development of about 7,150 acres in eastern Ohio.It did not disclose the specific location of the development, nor did it identify the seller."This is another major step forward for 1st NRG and its shareholders as we diversify our activity and pursue opportunity in an area rich in natural gas liquids and oil," said CEO Kevin Norris in a statement.